HARK: The Sound of Stories

HARK! The Sound of Stories returns to Crown Street Library for its first show of 2025!

Presenting music inspired by and intertwined with poetry and stories, HARK! introduces artists with readings from the words behind the pieces. All in the surrounds of beautiful Darlington Library.

This February we are thrilled to bring to our bookish stage folk legend POLLY PAULUSMA.

The ultimate HARK! artist, she will be playing songs from her new album ‘Wildfires' - an extraordinary work of breathtakingly emotional songs interlaced with spoken-word poetry. A soundscape of synths, piano and guitar, carrying tales of love, ghosts and uncommunication.  Paulusma is an English singer-songwriter, touring recording artist, record producer, label founder and author. After landing a first in English from Cambridge, Paulusma signed in 2003 to Björk’s label One Little Indian (now Independent) and to Sony/ATV Publishing, releasing her debut album Scissors In My Pocket in 2004 to international critical acclaim. Her six studio albums since collectively have been lauded worldwide. In 2012, she founded indie-folk label Wild Sound in 2012, and sold it in 2016 to One Little Independent as a folk imprint in order to do a PhD in relations between song and literature. She has played Glastonbury, V Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival, and has toured the USA, the UK and Europe supporting Bob Dylan, Jamie Cullum, Coldplay, Divine Comedy, and Marianne Faithfull. We are thrilled to have Paulusma performing her work ahead of her album tour in March.

Polly's music will be introduced by a performance of original spoken-word poetry from poet, performer and activist Bob Beagrie.

Paulusma is supported by Newcastle artist REN LAWTON.

Lawton will be playing songs from his acclaimed E.P. Harry's Poems (from the loft) - a concept release that explores the relationship between poetry and music as well as the familial relationship between Harry Owen and Ren Lawton (aka Conor Owen). Harry is an accomplished poet with nine published collections to date and was the inaugural Poet Laureate for Cheshire in 2003. Ren Lawton writes and performs music, is an Arts Council-supported musician with airplay on BBC Radio 6, and is also Harry’s nephew. The idea for the E.P was conceived many years ago and formed from deep chats that often ended with questions such as: When can a song or lyrics be classed as poetic? Why aren’t all lyrics poetry? Can all poems be interpreted into songs? Or, do only certain poems lend themselves to be used in such a way? We experience the answers to these questions at HARK!

Ren Lawton's songs will be introduced by a reading of Harry Owen's poems.

And don’t forget - you’ll be able to browse and loan books with a beer in hand, courtesy of the pop-up bar from Darlington micro-pub Crafty Merlins!

We are extremely grateful to Darlington Libraries and Creative Darlington for hosting HARK!, and for their support.